Train-controlling mechanism.



G. W. BENEDICT.

TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16.1913.

1,1 17,765. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. BENEDICT.

TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1913.

1,117,765, Patented N0v.17,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

Inventor Attorneys THE NIDRRIS PETERS Gil. PHOTOLHHOH WASHINGYDN, U. C

GUY W. BENEDICT, 0F HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRAIN-CONTROLLING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed April 16, 1913. Serial No. 761,526.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY W. BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvard, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Train-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in train controlling mechanisms, one object of the present invention being the provision of means carried by the train and in the path thereof, whereby the mechanism on the train is mechanically operated to vent the air brake system and thus bring the train to a halt when necessary, the depending or self-actuated means carried by the train being a resilient member capable of longitudinal movement without affecting its operating mechanism but which when moved laterally or transversely of the direc-, tion of travel, will operate the mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a ramp mechanism, one member of which is operated by a semaphore or other signal means and thus con trols the actuation of the train carried mechanism so that the train may be halted or unaffected when passing the signal, the position or condition of the signal regulating the action.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a ramp controlled mechanism, which has a lever primarily operated to place the venting valve lever in the path of the ramp actuated lever whereby although the lever may be placed in the path thereof, should the stopping mechanism not be in the position to stop and operate the ramp actuated lever to stopping position or the train be moving at such a slow rate of speed as not to warrant the stopping thereof, the air venting valve will not be operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the ramp device, the swinging member of which is in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the swinging member in stopping position. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the stationary ramp placed at dangerous curves and other places where it is desired to limit the speed of the train. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the ramp actuated mechanism, dotted lines illustrating the position it assumes when having been operated by the stationary ramp device. Fig. 5 isa similar view showing the position of the venting valve lever when the pivoted ramp device has operated the same. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 1, dotted lines illustrating the position of the ramp actuated arm or lever when operating the venting valve. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the venting valve lever in normal posi tion. Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the longitudinal flexing of the ramp actuated lever.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral 1 designates the rails, nearwhich at the desired signaling and stopping points,

preferably at the end and beginning of a block, is placed the fixed rod or bar 2, which, as shown is inclined outwardly away from the rails and constitutes the stationary ramp member. A swingingly mounted ramp member orbar 3 is pivoted at its end 4, said end being the end farthest away from the innermost end of the bar 2, the free end 5 being connected to the semaphore signal 7 and to the cable or other operating means 6, said semaphore being carried by a post 8 or other support.

As shown in Fig. 1, the ramp members 2 and 3 are in normal position, while as shown in Fig. 2, the member 3 is placed into train stopping position and will operate the train carried device, as will presently appear.

The train carried device, as clearly illustrated in Fig. a through 8, includes a casing or other support 9, a lever 11 of the venting valve 10 of the air brake system, being properly connected to the train pipe 12 in any desired manner, and having its free resilient terminal 13 disposed in the path and engaged by the rod it, said rod 14: being provided with the recessed portion 15 for the reception normally of the end 13 of the lever 11, the purpose of which will presently appear. The rod 14 is connected at 16 to the actuating lever 17 thereof, said lever being pivoted at 18, while the rod 14 is guided through the apertured lug 19, so

that the same will have the necessary movement and be held relatively at all times to the free resilient end 13 of the valve actuating lever 11. A rod 20 is connected to the free end of the lever 17, and forms a portion of the dash-pot mechanism 21, so that the lever 17 when moved in the opposite direction or against the spring 22, as will presently appear, will be permitted an exceedingly slow movement to its normal position, sayfor instance that such a movement will consume five seconds in moving from the dotted line position Fig. 4, to the full line thereof.

A plate 23 is carried by the bottom of the casing 9 and is slotted as at 2 in line with the slot 2a of the casing 9, said slot being disposed transversely of the path of travel of the locomotive, the pin 25 constituting the pivoting means for the ramp actuated lever 26, whose short terminal is projected through the slots 242 l and into the casing 9 to at the proper time engage the lever 11 of the valve 10 to vent the air brake system. Under normal conditions with the lever 11 in the position, as shown in Fig. 7, with the free end 13 thereofwithin the portion 15 of the rod i l, the movement of the end 27 of the lever 26 to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 6, will not ai'i'ect the lever 11 the same passing below it, it being therefore necessary that the bar 17 be moved to the dotted lineposition, as shown in Fig.

a, so that the straight portion of the rod 14 will bear upon the upper surface of the re silient lever 11 and-hold the same clownwardly in the'path to be engaged by the ;'end 27 of the ramp actuating lever 26 when the same is moved from the full line position in Fig. 6, to the dotted line position, such movement actuating the lever 11 to the position as shown in Fig. 5, thus opening the valve 10 and venting the air brake system.

A spring 28 is carried by the casing 9 in the path of the upper end27 of the ramp actuated, lever 26, so as to normally move the same from the position toward the lever 11, or to an upright position. This lever 2611s made of a resilient material, so that the same may be flexed to the dotted line position in Fig. 8, due to any obstructions in the path of travel, while in order to provide a means to prevent the breaking thereof, should the train come to a halt at a crossing, with the resiliently supported end 32 resting thereupon, such. end will give to the pressure against the spring 83 mounted in the sleeve 31.

In order to provide a' means to return the lever 11 of the venting valve to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 4-, the pivoted lever 30 is provided, one end thereof being projected through the slot 29 to engage the lever 11.

In operation, assuming that the parts are.

in the position, as shownin F ig. 4, and the train is moving in the direction of the an row Fig. 1, the ramp actuated lever 26 will be moved to the full line position as shown in Fig. 6, when in engagement with the fixed ramp device 2, the lower end of said. lever normally traveling in the dotted lineposition, as shown inFig. 1. As the ramp device 3 is in parallel to the rail and therefore within the dotted lines in the normal-travel o1 the ramp lever 26, it is evident that after the same has passed beyond the outer end of the device or bar 2, the same will fall inwardly and will miss the-bar 3 when'passing the same. This action will cause the bar 17 to be moved to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. l, pulling the rod 14 and causing the free end 13 of the lever 11 to be pressed downwardly toward the bottom:

of the casing 9. The spring 22 will return the lever 17 and consequently the bar 14 to the position as shown in. full lines Figs. d and 7, and as the ramp arm has not been operated by the ramp device 8, the lever 11 will not be actuated. Assuming however,

that the signal 7 has been set to danger and i as the free end 13 of the leverll-is down-- wardly, the upper end 27 of the ramp. actuated lever 26 will engage the depressedlever 11 and move-the samev from the position as shown in Fig. 4: to that shown in Fig. 5, and thus vent the air brake system and bring the train to a halt.

When the device is used in connection with the fixed ramp devices 2'3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the ramp device 3 will move the bar 17 from the full to dotted line position, as shown in Fig. l, and thus depress the lever 11 in the path to be engaged by the end 27 of the ramp actuated lever 26, and as the rash-pot 21 permits of the lever 17 returning within'a predetermined time, as for instance, live seconds, a train moving at normal speed cannot be affected, because the lever 17 will have returned to the position, as shown in Fig. 5 and therefore the free end of the lever will have been elevated into the notch 15 and out of the path of the end 27 ofthe lever 26 and finally en duration as to permit of the valve lever 11 being operated to vent the system and bring the train to a halt.

/Vhat is claimed is:

l. The combination in a train controlling mechanism, of a signal device, a fixed abutment and a pivoted abutment, the former being at an angle to the rails, the latter being operably connected to a signal device to be placed at an angle to the rails when the signal is at danger, train carried means disposed for transverse swinging movements and in the path to strike the abutments and be moved thereby when the abutments are at an angle to the rails, one abutment moving it in one direction and the other in an opposite direction, train controlling means normally out of the path of the transversely swinging means, and means operated by the transversely swinging means when moved in one direction for placing the train controlling means in the path of the transversely swinging means to be engaged thereby when the transversely swinging means swings in the opposite direction.

2. A train stopping device including an air brake venting valve, a transversely swinging ramp actuated member for operating the valve to venting position, a resilient lever connected to the valve and normally out of the path of the ramp actuated member, and means for placing the lever in the path of said member to be engaged thereby when the said member swings in one direction, said means being controlled by the ramp actuated member when the same is moved in the opposite direction.

8. A train stopping device including an air brake venting valve, a transversely swinging ramp actuated member for operating the valve to venting position, a resilient lever connected to the valve and normally out of the path of the ramp actuated memher, and means for placing the lever in the path of said member, said means being controlled by the ramp actuated member when the same is moved in one direction, the valve lever being swung to operate the valve when the ramp actuated lever is moved in the opposite direction.

4. The combination in a train controlling mechanism, of a signal device, a fixed abutment and a pivoted abutment, the former being at an angle to the rails, the latter being operably connected to a signal device to be placed at an angle to the rails when the signal is at danger, said abutments being disposed at opposite inclines, train carried means disposed for transverse swinging movements and in the path to strike the abutments and be moved thereby when the abutments are at angles to the rails, one abutment swinging it in one direction while the other swings it in an opposite direction, train controlling means normally out of the path of the transversely swinging means, and means operated by the transversely swinging means for placing the train controlling means in the path of the transversely swinging means, when the latter is moved in one direction, the movement thereof in the opposite direction operating the train controlling means.

5. The combination with a ramp, of a train stopping device including an air brake venting valve, a resilient lever connected thereto, a transversely swinging member for operating the lever to dispose it in a path below its normal level, a ramp actuated means for imparting movement in one direction to said member, and means for retarding the return of the member when operated by a ramp to so dispose the lever, whereby when such member is operated in an opposite direction the valve lever will be actuated to vent the valve.

6. A train stopping device including an air brake venting valve, a lever connected thereto and capable of being flexed vertically, a horizontally swinging lever and mean operated thereby disposed in a path to depress the valve lever, a retarding device connected to the horizontal lever for retarding the movement of the horizontal lever in one direction, and a transversely swinging ramp actuated lever mounted to move the horizontally swinging lever and thereby cause the depression of the valve lever, said ramp actuated lever when moved in the opposite direction before the retarding device has permitted the return of the horizontal lever and the elevation of the valve lever, engaging and operating the valve lever to open the valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUY W. BENEDICT.

Witnesses Gonnon A. MGCLEERY, FRANK lWIAsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

